Indigo (NaNoWriMo13)

Chapter 34 - Ego Poking

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Chapter 34 - Ego Poking

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Despite Kione’s prediction, Discord didn’t turn up the next day. Even if he had, Shift wouldn’t have been subjected to the man's unpleasant aura because Raph had more or less locked him down inside the med bay. 

He suspected the isolation was intentional on Raph’s behalf, since he’d been denied any device that could connect to the net and the signal on his wrist communicator was mysteriously absent. Forced inactivity drove him to something he tried to avoid if it could be helped, but with no company but the stark white furniture he didn’t really have a choice. 

Thinking. 

And not just any thinking. Deep thinking. About himself, which was terrifying enough without the subjects that wormed their way into his mind.

What he was doing, why he was helping Athira do less than legal things. Why he’d lied for her to Raph’s face, although he had an excuse for that one. The tiny camera in the far corner might be connected to Indigo’s internal security system rather than an open Colour network, but as long as it was connected to a system, any Elites--or Wardens--would have had direct access to a straight admission of guilt from Athira and himself. 

That was obviously a huge no-no. 

Did he plan on telling Raph the truth somewhere in private? Shift was surprised to find that he was reluctant to do so. For all her show of ‘dropping the issue’ with Athira, Talia remained pushy as ever. Shift suspected it was rubbing off on Raph, and Athira’s nightly antics weren't helping to soothe his worry. Zoe though, she was different. She needed to know. She was an unwilling victim directly in the war path of the Warden's master plan.  

Shift continued to ask himself the big questions, re-examining each memory of Athira, the sleepers, Wardens, Elites, machines, Kione’s cracked files, until boredom finally claimed him and sent him to sleep. 

When he woke up, someone had unlocked the doors of the med bay. Shift had never moved so fast in his life. 

A glimpse at his wrist communicator told him he'd slept through the night with a quick message from Raph saying they were expecting Discord in an hour, to find Zoe and shift some of her colour to ensure he was in top form, and that if he stepped a toe out of line the guy who helped keep Indigo base clean was going to find himself out of a job for a month. 

Wouldn't want to deprive Ripley from a job now, would I? thought Shift, rounding the corner into the stairwell. He took them two at a time, raced across the main room and through the doors of the kitchen. 'Recovery' food just didn't cut it. 

He was halfway through an OmNom bar when the wall shimmered. 

Shift tensed and relaxed in the same breath as Athira's face appeared. She gave the room a quick glance before the rest of her followed, upper body appearing to slide along the counter until she stepped out of it. 

He took one look at the way her colour refused to settle back into her skin and read her like a book. With just her presence, the apples no longer appeared settled in their basket. 

"You haven't meditated."

"Didn't have time," she shot back in a whisper. "There's too many things going on. Too many things I need to understand."

Shift tried to take her hand. "Let me shift some--"

His fingers only managed to brush hers before she snatched them away, but even the brief touch was enough for him to feel the volcanic heat her colour was creating.